Army veteran arrested in shooting; 3 wounded

Sep. 21, 2013 - 12:51PM
|

BOZEMAN, MONT. — Police in Bozeman have arrested a suspect in an early morning shooting that left three people hospitalized, at least one with life-threatening injuries.

Police Chief Ron Price said the 25-year-old shooter was subdued by a witness after emptying his shotgun in the shooting at 4 a.m. Friday.

All three victims — men in their 20s — were taken to Bozeman Deaconess Hospital. The victim with the most serious wound was shot in the abdomen, Price said. The other two were in serious condition with leg wounds.

Cody Christopher Little was arrested after the shooting. He faces two counts of attempted deliberate homicide and one count of assault with a weapon.

Little appeared in Justice Court on Friday, where bail was set at $1.25 million. His public defender said Little was an Army combat engineer who served in Iraq, KTVM-TV reported.

Witnesses told police the suspect and victims had been arguing during the party and that Little left and returned carrying a 20-gauge shotgun. He approached a group of people in the driveway and fired three times, witnesses alleged.

Price alleged that Little tried to fire a fourth time, but was out of ammunition, so he tried to run away. A witness pursued him and held him until police arrived.

“Not only am I proud of the citizen who had the courage to detain this person, but I’m also very proud of the officers and the lifesaving measures they took that I believe made a significant difference in the outcome of this,” Price said at a news conference Friday afternoon.